MUSL 1670

Survey of American Hip Hop

Fall 2022
TR 1:15 - 2:30 PM

Instructor: Professor Brittany Chase Student Assistant: Brandon Scott

Email: brittany.chase@vanderbilt.edu Email: brandon.t.scott@vanderbilt.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Optional Course Text:

Orejuela, Fernando. Rap And Hip Hop Culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2015.

Course Outline
(Subject to Change)

Week Topic

Week 1 Chapter 1: What is Hip Hop? What is Rap?

8/25 Lecture

Week 2 Chapter 2: Hip Hop’s Ground Zero: The South Bronx and Urban America

8/30 Lecture
9/1 Read Jeff Chang Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Necropolis | Lecture

Week 3 Chapter 3: Graffiti Art and Breaking

9/6 Lecture
9/8 Read Craig Castleman “The Politics of Graffiti” | Lecture

Week 4 Chapter 4: Rap’s African and African American Cultural Roots

9/13 Lecture
9/15 Lecture

Week 5 Cultural Roots continued – wrap up Ch. 4

Chapter 5: Old School DJs and MCs

9/20 Lecture
9/22 Read Kyra Gaunt “Translating Double Dutch…” | Lecture

Week 6 The Emergence of Old-School Hip Hop: MCs and the commercialization of
Hip Hop

9/27 Exam 1
9/29 Lecture

Week 7 Chapter 6: The Golden Era

 10/4 Guest Lecture
10/6 Read Jeff Chang “World is Ours” | Lecture

Week 8 Chapter 7: Hardcore: “Message Rap” and “Gangsta Rap” pp. 107–116

10/11 Lecture
10/13 Fall Break

Week 9 Chapter 7: Hardcore: “Message Rap” and “Gangsta Rap” pp. 116–134

10/18 Read Jeff Chang “Black Artists as New Black Leadership” | Lecture
10/20 Lecture

Week 10 New School continued. Wrap up Ch. 7

10/25 Read Soren Baker “Native Son” | Lecture

10/27 Lecture

Week 11 Chapter 8: Hardcore II: Gangsta in the 90s and Responses from Within the
Rap Community pp. 135–150

11/1 Lecture
11/3 Exam 2

Week 12 Chapter 8: Hardcore II: Gangsta in the 90s and Responses from Within the
Rap Community pp. 150–172

11/8 Lecture
11/10 Read Tricia Rose “Hip Hop and Sexism” | Lecture

Week 13 Chapter 9: Hip Hop Culture and Rap Music in the Second Millennium pp.
173–188

11/15 Lecture
11/17 Lecture Research Project Due*

Week 14 Thanksgiving Break

Week 15 Chapter 9: Hip Hop Culture and Rap Music in the Second Millennium pp.
189–205

11/29 Read Carter “99 Problems” | Lecture

12/1 Lecture

Week 16 Chapter 10: Conclusion

12/6 Watch “Gin in My System” and “Bad and Boujee” | Lecture
12/8 Lecture

Final Exam Monday, December 12th 9:00 AM Final Exam

Course Description and Goals:
This course examines the history of Hip Hop and culture from the 1970s to the present, including current
debates and discussions. It explores the dynamics of hip hop culture regarding its historical
development, political influence and social impact, particularly in American culture. This class also
explores relevant issues surrounding race, gender, cultural relations, economics and social barriers
relating to hip hop music and culture. Discussions will include the coexistence of various hip hop styles
and the exploitation of this music and culture as a commodity for national and global consumption.

Attendance and Participation:

Attendance and participation are crucial to your success in this class. After two unexcused absences,
each additional unexcused absence will result in a lowering of your class participation grade. In the
event that you must miss class, you are responsible for all the material and announcements covered
during that class period. When seeking that material, consult a fellow classmate. Please come to class
prepared to discuss the assigned readings as well as your own ideas about and connections to the
material.

I do not and will not post PowerPoints online. Read that again. Student assistants are not responsible
for getting notes to students who miss class. Read that again.

Attendance will be taken randomly through Top Hat. Please download the App, which is free for all
Vanderbilt Students. You can join our course with the following code: 653366

Technology:
The Blair musicology department has embraced a policy that declares classrooms to be "technology
free" during MUSL-course class hours. During this time, students may not use laptop computers, cell
phones or any other electronic devices. Read that again. A student with an unusual or extenuating
circumstance should discuss it with me and provide SAS accommodations.

Make-ups:
Do NOT miss scheduled exams. If you must miss for legitimate medical, personal, or school related
reasons, contact me before that class session! In order to make up an exam, you must make
arrangements with me within one week of the scheduled exam. Assignments will not be accepted late.

Accommodations:
If you need disability related accommodations for this course; if you have emergency medical
information to share with me; or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be
evacuated, please make an appointment to speak with me as well as the SAS Department.

Honor Code:
Vanderbilt University students pursue all academic endeavors with integrity. They conduct themselves
honorably, professionally, and respectfully in all realms of their studies in order to promote and secure
an atmosphere of dignity and trust. The keystone of our honor system is self-regulation, which requires
cooperation and support from each member of the University community.

I pledge to pursue all academic endeavors with honor and integrity. I understand the principles of the
Honor System, and I promise to uphold these standards by adhering to the Honor Code in order to
preserve the integrity of Vanderbilt University and its individual members.

Hearing Protection:
Protection of your hearing is essential to your lifelong success as a musician. You can prevent noise-
induced hearing loss, but you must avoid overexposure to loud sounds, especially for long periods of
time. The risk of hearing loss can be reduced by controlling volume levels in practice and rehearsal,
avoiding noisy environments, and turning down the volume (particularly when using earbuds).

The use of earplugs helps to protect your hearing health in cases where you cannot control volume. The
main library at Blair has disposable earplugs available at no charge; earplugs are also available at most
pharmacies. The Musicians’ Hearing Center of the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center offers professional
personal hearing healthcare services, in addition to custom earplugs made individually for each user.
For an appointment call: 615.322.HEAR (4327); www.vanderbilthealth.com/billwilkerson/28390

Title IX:
Vanderbilt is committed to providing a community built on trust and mutual respect, where all can feel
secure and free from harassment. Sexual misconduct including sexual violence, sexual harassment,
intimate partner violence, and stalking, violates a person’s rights, dignity and integrity and is contrary to
our community principles and the mission of the college. The University is committed to fostering a
community that promotes prompt reporting of sexual misconduct and timely and fair resolution of
sexual misconduct reports. Creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment is the responsibility of
everyone at Vanderbilt. All University faculty and administrators are mandatory reporters. What this
means is that all faculty must report allegations of sexual misconduct and intimate partner violence to
the Title IX Coordinator. In addition, all faculty are obligated to report any allegations of discrimination
to the Title IX Coordinator.

We encourage all members of our campus community to seek support from the Project Safe Center;
615-322-7233. We encourage community members to report all incidents of sexual harassment and
sexual misconduct directly to the Title IX Office (615-343-9004), Baker Building, Suite 975. Staff in these
departments will assist in eliminating the misconduct, preventing its recurrence, and addressing its
effects.

Recording Policy:
Although learning online means that we engage in classroom discussion using different tools than we
would if we were together in person, the principles of how we engage with one another remain the
same. Vanderbilt University seeks to protect the intellectual property of all our faculty, and to safeguard
the privacy of all our students in online learning environments. To this end, students may not record,
reproduce, screenshot, photograph, or distribute any online content from their courses, including
recordings of in-person or Zoom class sessions, except for their own personal educational use. Similarly,
instructors may not, in general, share recordings of class activities with individuals not already
participating in the class as students, teachers, or guests. Any recordings by students or instructors
generally should be deleted at the end of the semester. Failure to abide by recording policies may be an
Honor Code violation or may result in corrective action through the University’s accountability process
depending on the circumstances.

Mental Health & Wellness:

If you are experiencing undue personal and/or academic stress during the semester that may be
interfering with your ability to perform academically, Vanderbilt’s Student Care Network offers a range
of services to assist and support you. I am available to speak with you about stresses related to your
work in my course, and I can assist you in connecting with the Student Care Network. The Office of
Student Care Coordination (OSCC) is the central and first point of contact to help students navigate and
connect to appropriate resources on and off-campus, develop a plan of action, and provide ongoing
support. You can schedule an appointment with the OSCC at
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/carecoordination/ or call 615-343-WELL.
The Student Care Network also offers drop-in services on campus on a regular basis. You can find a
calendar of services at https://www.vanderbilt.edu/studentcarenetwork/satellite-services/.
If you or someone you know needs to speak with a professional counselor immediately, the University
Counseling Center offers Crisis Care Counseling during the summer and academic year. Students may
come directly to the UCC and be seen by the clinician on call, or may call the UCC at (615) 322-2571 to
speak with a clinician. You can find additional information at https://www.vanderbilt.edu//ucc/.

Listening:
Students should obtain a Spotify account (free of charge) and subscribe to the playlist created for the
class. Listening examples heard in class will be added for access when reviewing for exams and for
personal enjoyment. If you do not wish to deal with the ads that come with the free version, there are
special $5/month rates for college students.

Exams:
Three exams will be given throughout the semester. These are designed to give you the opportunity to
share the knowledge you have gained.

Research Paper
Students will complete a project in which they have thoroughly examined the music of an old school Hip
Hop album between 1979-1993. They will discuss a breakdown of the lyrics and music, examining the
message and interpreting the meaning of specific songs. There should be great attention and detail
placed on the discussion and interpretation of musical elements and connections to class themes.
Students will consider socioeconomic, political, cultural and historical landscapes, examining both the
music’s importance within that time period and present day. Papers are 5-7 full pages, 12-point font,
Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, paginated and stapled. Additional guidelines to come.

The Daily Scoop:

Students will have the opportunity at the end of class to give us the scoop on a current event in Hip Hop.
The end of each class will be devoted to discussing our current Hip Hop scene relating to a particular
event, artist, headline, album drop etc. Preferably, students will prepare something for the class to view
or hear to encourage discussion.

Offensive Content Disclaimer

Students should understand that this class engages in lyric material, imagery and subject matter that
may include explicit or culturally sensitive content. In this course, students may view, listen to and
analyze offensive materials, including language and imagery that is obscene, sexist, homophobic, racist
and may contain descriptions of sexual conduct and violence. We do not intend to offend, nor do we
condone or share the opinions of the musicians and songs that may cause offense. Because these
materials speak to issues and controversies relevant to the history of hip hop music and culture, no
substitutions will be provided. By continuing with this course, students agree to be held accountable for
required materials in the syllabus, regardless of their offensive nature. This class will engage with the
materials as the creators intended, and students may drop this course at their discretion.

Grading Scale: Grade Point Breakdown:

100 - 93 = A 76 - 73 = C Exam 1 100
92 - 90 = A- 72 - 70 = C- Exam 2 100
89 - 87 = B+ 69 - 67 = D+ Final Exam 100
86 - 83 = B 66 - 63 = D Research Paper 100
82 - 80 = B- 62 - 60 = D- Attendance/Participation 50
79 - 77 = C + 59 - 0 = F